38         COMPOUND  DECOCTION  OF  SARSAPARILLA.  U,  S.  P. 
evaporation.  The  resulting  liquid  was  strained  through  a  fine 
brass  sieve,  and  the  materials  squeezed  with  the  hand  to  express 
as  much  of  the  liquid  as  possible.  Cold  water  was  added  to  the 
ingredients,  and  pressure  applied  as  before,  until  a  pint  was  ob- 
tained. This  was  set  aside  for  about  twelve  hours,  when  the 
liquid  was  carefully  decanted  from  sediment, — the  last  portion, 
containing  whatever  may  have  been  precipitated,  being  thrown 
on  a  filter,  and  when  all  had  passed  through,  the  filter  was  washed 
with  a  small  qantity  of  water,  so  that  none  of  the  soluble  matter 
might  be  lost. 
Ingredients  similar  in  quantity,  quality,  and  mode  of  prepa- 
ration were  used  in  all  the  subsequent  experiments,  and  the 
same  process  of  pressing  the  decoction  and  washing  the  materials 
followed. 
In  the  next  experiment,  the  ingredients  were  macerated  at 
200°  F.  for  two  hours. 
Endeavoring  to  ascertain  whether  the  time  occupied  in  prepa- 
ration might  be  shortened  still  further,  another  portion  was 
macerated  at  200°  F.  for  one  hour,  and  in  the  fourth  experiment 
at  the  same  temperature  for  half  an  hour. 
The  fifth  experiment  consisted  in  macerating  the  ingredients 
for  one  hour  in  cold  water,  then  boiling  for  fifteen  minutes,  as 
in  the  officinal  decoction  ;  and  the  final  operation  simply  boiling 
the  ingredients  for  fifteen  minutes,  without  previous  maceration. 
The  liquid  resulting  from  the  sixth  experiment  was  deficient 
in  color  and  strength,  but  the  other  five  samples  were  almost 
identical  in  appearance  and  taste.  The  officinal  and  No.  5  seemed 
to  have  a  little  stronger  flavor  of  sassafras  than  the  other  three, 
but  the  difference  was  very  slight. 
One- half  the  quantity  of  decoction  obtained  from  each  experi  - 
ment was  evaporated  to  a  solid  extract,  of  pilular  consistence. 
These  experiments  were  twice  repeated,  and  I  now  give  the 
average  results  in  each  case  : 
No.  1,  the  officinal  decoction,  yielded  154  grains  to  the  pint. 
No.  2,  tnacerated  at  200°  F.  for  two  hours,  158  grains. 
No.  3,  macerated  at  200°  F.  for  one  hour,  143  grains. 
No.  4,  macerated  at  200°  F.  for  half  an  hour,  148  grains. 
